Missouri governor faces felony charge for computer tampering

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens now faces two felony charges, one for allegedly blackmailing a woman with a nude photo and the other for allegedly using a charity donor list to raise funds for his campaign. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office said it had probable cause that he used the charity's donor list to raise money for his campaign during the 2016 election. Doing so would violate federal law and put the charity's tax-exempt status at risk.

The charity in question is The Mission Continues, which Greitens founded in 2007 and left in 2014. The organization connects veterans with volunteer opportunities.

In February, a grand jury indicted Greitens on a felony charge of invasion of privacy for allegedly transmitting a nude image of a woman he had an affair with in 2015. He's accused of taking the photograph without her consent.

Greitens allegedly threatened to blackmail the woman by releasing the image of her, taken while she was blindfolded with her hands bound, according to a conversation recorded by her ex-husband also without her consent.

The Republican, a first-term governor, has resisted calls for his resignation, saying earlier this week that he intends to serve the people of Missouri, who voted him into office.

"I will not be resigning the governor's office," Greitens wrote on Twitter. "In three weeks, this matter will go to a court of law -- where it belongs and where the facts will prove my innocence.

Late Tuesday, Republican lawmakers in both chambers of the legislature called for Greitens to resign.

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, a Republican, said due to the severity of the claims, "it is my wish that we immediately start impeachment proceedings."

"We are past the point of concerning and alarming," he added. "Since his time in office, the governor has caused tension, conflict and hostility. The weight of his actions are being felt throughout the state."